Furniture leg support bracket



Sept as, 3958 I L. STEINER FURNITURE LEG SUPPORT BRACKET Filed Dec. 4, 1957 INVENTOR.

Lawrence Srei ner ATTORNEY United States Patent FURNITURE LEG SUPPORT BRACKET Lawrence Steiner, Great Neck, N. Y. Application December 4, 1957, Serial No. 700,625

6 Claims. (Cl. 248-188) This invention relates to means for securing support legs to furniture, such as coffee tables, cabinets, chairs and the like.

More particularly, the invention is directed to an improved bracket including an attachment section for relatively simple securement to the furniture and an offset leg receiving portion adapted to have a support leg attached thereto, the entire support arrangement giving the appearance of suspending the article of furniture.

One of the advantages of the bracket is that it may be secured to the bottom support surface of a furniture article either at a corner or edge ,thereof or at a point spaced inwardly from the corner or edge. To this end, the bracket includes a flat and relatively elongated attachment section from the outer end of which extends a hollow boss having a fiat upper surface in substantially coplanar continuation of the support surface. The attachment section and the boss or protuberance are formed with recessed apertures to receive attachment means such as screws or bolts.

A cantilever leg attachment arm curves downwardly and outwardly from the outer end of the attachment section, with the boss or protuberance acting as a support or brace therefor. The outer end of the arm has a hollow ornamental boss on its upper surface having a flat lower surface parallel to the attachment section but substantially oifset downwardly therefrom. This ornamental boss has a recess extending upwardly thereinto and threaded to receive the threaded upper end, or an attachment bolt, for a support leg. The upper end of the ornamental boss may be hemispherical in shape or otherwise formed as a dome, diamond, square, or any other form.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view, partly in section, of the bracket with a leg attached thereto;

Figs. 2 and 3 are, respectively, topand bottom plan views of the bracket;

Figs. 4 and 5 are partial elevation views illustrating two ways in which the bracket may be secured to furniture; and

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of a table having a plurality of brackets secured thereto to provide Duncan Phyfe support effect.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a bracket 10 embodying the invention is an integral member formed of suitable metal preferably by casting or die casting, or it may be machined from a block of metal if desired. The bracket includes a relatively flat attachment section 15, an arm 20 curving downwardly and outwardly from section 15, and a hollow boss or protuberance 30 projecting from the outer end of section and merging into arm 20.

Section 15 has a flat upper surface 11 arranged to 2,852,221 Patented Sept. 16, 1958 engage a corresponding surface of a furniture article and coplanar with a flat upper end surface 31 of boss 30. Bracket has an upwardly concave upper surface 21 extending from the outer end of surface 11 and merging with the hemispherical upper surface 26 of a hollow ornamental boss at the outer end of arm 20. Arm 20 tapers in width from its inner end to boss 25.

A reinforcing rib 12 extends along each side edge of mounting section and each rib 12 merges smoothly with a reinforcing rib 22 extending along each side edge of arm 20. The outer ends of ribs or flanges 22 merge smoothly into a flat arcuate undersurface 23, at the outer end of arm 20, surface 23 being coplanar with the bottom surface 27 of boss 25. Surfaces 23 and 27 are parallel to but downwardly offset from mounting surfaces 11 and 31.

Section 15 is formed with countersunk apertured bosses 13 for receiving screws or other fastening elements, and protuberance 30 has a similar boss 32 substantially axially thereof. A central reinforcing rib 14 extends along the undersurface of section 15 and of the upper end of protuberance 30, down the inside of the outer wall of the latter, and centrally of the underside of arm 20 to surface 23. Diagonal reinforcing ribs 24 extend along the undersurface of arm 20 from the ends of ribs 12 to the ends of surface 23, ribs 24 intersecting each other and rib 14.

Boss 25 has a tubular pillar 35 extending radially thereof and preferably threaded. Radial ribs 36, 37 and non-radial ribs 38 extend between pillar 35 and the inner surface of boss 25, and ribs 37 have thickened reinforcements 39. The lower surfaces of elements 36, 37, 38 and 39 are substantially flush with surface 27 of boss 25.

Pillar 35 is arranged to receive an attaching means on a support leg, such as the tapered tubular leg 40 shown by way of example only. Leg 40 has a cupshape element 41 secured in its upper end and having a stud 42 projecting axially thereof and beyond the flat upper end of leg 40. The lower end of the leg has a foot 45 adjustably secured therein, and foot 45 may have a cushion 44 on its undersurface. Leg 40 is secured to bracket 10 by screwing stud 42 into pillar 35 until the upper edge of leg 40 seats firmly against surface 27. Other forms of legs and securing attachments may be used with the bracket 10.

Bracket 10 is attached to an article of furniture by means of screws or the like extending through bosses 13 and 32. The bracket may be secured adjacent a corner of the article as shown in Fig. 4, so that arm 20 and leg 40 project beyond the article. Alternatively, bracket 10 may be disposed inwardly of the corner or edge of the article 50, as shown in Fig. 5, so that arm 20 and leg 40 are within theperiphery of the article. Fig. 6 shows three brackets 20 with legs 40 secured to the underside of a table to provide a Duncan Phyfe type of support.

Boss 25 is ornamental as well as utilitarian, and its upper surface may be some other shape than hemispherical if desired.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A cantilever bracket, for attaching legs to furniture, comprising an integral member including a substantially flat and relatively elongated mounting section having a flat upper surface arranged to set against an undersurface of the furniture, said mounting section being apertured to receive fastening elements to secure the bracket in position, a cantilever, arm curving downwardly and outwardly from the outer end of said mounting section, the outer end of said arm having an upwardly extending aperture to receive a leg fastening element, and having a flat undersurface substantially parallel to the flat upper surface of said mounting section and arranged to seat the flat upper end of a leg, and a substantially semicylindrical protuberance at the outer end of said mounting section, merging with said arm and having a flat upper surface flush with the fiat upper surface of said mounting section, said protuberance reinforcing and bracing said arm.

2. A cantilever bracket, for attaching legs to furniture, comprising an integral member including a substantially fiat and relatively elongated mounting section having a fiat upper surface arranged to set against an undersurface of the furniture, said mounting section being apertured to receive fastening elements to secure the bracket in position, a cantilever arm curving downwardly and outwardly from the outer end of said mounting section, the outer end of said arm having an upwardly extending aperture to receive a leg fastening element, and having a flat undersurface substantially parallel to the flat upper surface of said mounting section and arranged to seat the flat upper end of a leg,

and a substantially semicylindrical protuberance at the outer end of said mounting section, merging with said arm and having a flat upper surface flush with the flat upper surface of said mounting section and apertured to receive a fastening element, said protuberance reinforcing and bracing said arm.

3. A cantilever bracket, for attaching legs to furniture, comprising an integral member including a substantially flat and relatively elongated mounting section having a flat upper surface arranged to set against an undersurface of the furniture, said mounting section being apertured to receive fastening elements to secure the bracket in position, a cantilever arm curving downwardly and outwardly from the outer end of said mounting section, the outer end of said arm having an upwardly extending aperture to receive a leg fastening element, and having a flat undersurface substantially parallel to the flat upper surface of said mounting section and arranged to seat the fiat upper end of a leg, and a substantially semicylindrical hollow protuberance at the outer end of said mounting section, merging with said arm and having a flat upper surface flush with the flat upper surface of said mounting section, said protuberance reinforcing and bracing said arm.

4. A cantilever bracket as claimed in claim 1 including a downwardly opening hollow boss at the outer end of said arm having an upwardly extending tubular pillar to receive a leg fastening element and a fiat undersurface to seat the Hat upper end of a leg.

5. A cantilever bracket as claimed in claim 4 including reinforcing ribs on the underside of said section and arm and between said pillar and the inner surface of said boss.

6. A cantilever bracket as claimed in claim 5 in which a pair of such ribs extend along the side edges of said section and arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 620,943 Loomis Mar. 14, 1899 2,015,292 Schweller Sept. 24, 1935 2,299,676 Austin Oct. 20, 1942 2,738,246 Hogan Mar. 13, 1956 2,784,930 Wernecki Mar. 12, 1957 2,809,876 Huff Oct. 15, 1957 

